CHENNAI: Chennai is known for being home to many communities across the country, with several having made the city their base over years of consolidation. From Bengalis, Gujaratis, Rajasthanis and Malayalis, the city has opened arms to every community the country has to offer. But did you know that we also have a vibrant community from the north-east, who also actively contribute to the city’s cultural and economic vibrancy? City Express explores this niche by speaking to the Assam Association Chennai, one of the largest north-eastern communities in the state.
Consisting of nearly 2,000 people, both families and otherwise, the Assam Association is an informal society — it hasn’t been registered as of yet. But its genesis harks back to 1975 when it was first established and today, it is a vibrant community of residents in Chennai.
“A large part of the members consist of students especially those studying in colleges like Anna University, MGR University, Sathyabhama University and other educational institutions,” explains Indukalpa Saikia, general secretary of the association.
“Then there are professionals working in the IT and medical industries. There used to be a big community from ONGC but it has dwindled in the last
few years.”
The boom in the IT sector brought a lot of people from the north-east to Chennai for both education and work. “Today, there are many who have their own flat or house here and have settled here finding Chennai a good place to live in,” says Indukalpa, who has been here since 2001 and is in the printing business. The most senior members have been here for the last 30 years.
“The peculiarity is that Assamese people generally migrate for jobs — we’re not very business oriented and don’t own our own firms or companies,” says Indukalpa.
"The private sector is not very active in Assam even now. So most of the population is employed in the government sector, or moves out to look for jobs elsewhere. There are lot of people working in the primary sector as security guards and blue collar workers," he says. “But somehow we don’t have much of a connect with that segment, though we do reach out to quite a lot.”
Despite this, he says, there is hope for people who want to stay in the state. “Tourism is the only sector that is holding its own in
Assam, and apart from that, the start-up sector seems to be picking up. A lot of youngsters who used to work in Delhi and other cities have gone back to create small start-ups.”
The Assam Association Chennai also coordinates with the North-East Welfare Association (NEWA), a government body that looks to safeguard the interests of people from the north-east in Chennai. “There is a government officer here who is the nodal officer, and we have representatives from all other states in the north-east,” adds Arun Kumar Sarma, president of the association, who is also a faculty member at VIT Chennai campus. “The other groups are not as strong and as active, despite having a lot of migrants from the area.”
Chennai and its citizens have been very welcoming to their community, even though there is a lot of difference in the climate and food, they add. “When I first came to Chennai, the difference between the climate here and in Assam was like hell and heaven!” laughs Sarma. But he is quick to add the comparison to the quality of life in the city ends there.
“Once you get adjusted, since it’s a metropolitan city, it makes you feel much at ease. I have not picked up on the language, but there have been many who have and are flourishing in their jobs here!”
Though sometimes, other senior members have a slightly different take. “A drawback in the city — at least for people not having government or company accommodation — is that there is a trust deficit between house owners and us,” adds Kishore Kalita, senior assistant secretary of the organisation and a resident of the city for the last 20 years. “Some people are unscrupulous and try to cheat you if they realise you’re an outsider.”
Another drawback in the city is the lack of space to organise their events from time to time. Though they have been able to muster venues until now, they are facing hardship in renting out locations further. “Other major cities have buildings for each community — but in Chennai, Assam Bhavan is only being constructed now in Pallikaranai,” adds Indukalpa.
The association is also collaborating with its community members back in Assam to promote medical tourism to Chennai. “The healthcare and infrastructure in Chennai is top-notch, so we are looking to help facilitate more people from our state to come here for treatment,” says Indukalpa. “We help to cover their medical expenses or travel costs, or generally make it easier for them to access healthcare in Tamil Nadu.”